Air Canada launches Sydney-to-Montreal route

Air Canada officials were on hand Thursday to recognize the start of the Sydney-to-Montreal route with some fanfare.

A water cannon greeted the arriving Q400 Turboprop aircraft as it arrived from Montreal at J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport on Thursday afternoon. A departing flight to Montreal left Sydney at 6 a.m. that day.

It’s a seasonal route that will continue until Oct. 26.

Sydney Airport Authority CEO Mike MacKinnon said the newest route will offer an “increase (in) tourism and stimulate business connectivity” between Cape Breton and the rest of Canada.

Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport, like Toronto’s Pearson airport, is a major hub with connections to 150 cities around the world.

“Increasing air access is a priority for us and this new direct service will provide both business and leisure travellers with even more flying options and more reasons to come to Cape Breton,” MacKinnon said in a release.

Air Canada previously announced it would reduce the number of daily flights between Sydney and Halifax by two during the peak summer months.

The airline also operates a daily direct flight between Sydney and Toronto.